News:

Shipping now! "Classic Keys" book, a celebration of vintage keyboards  More...

Main Menu

Action Question

Started by WurlieNewbie, November 07, 2021, 12:09:07 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

WurlieNewbie

Hey guys.... So I have a 200 that was in bad shape when I first bought it. The action was very sluggish and keys would get stuck, etc.  So I completely disassembled it and lubricated the whip assemblies, the pins, etc.  I also regulated it (adjusted the let-off) and tuned it, etc.  Made a big difference.

BUT when playing it, the action always felt different than my Rhodes.  It felt less substantial, not enough weight/resistance when I press down on the keys. Playing the Rhodes feels more like a piano whereas playing the 200 feels more like a toy piano.  I chalked that up to the Wurlitzer and Rhodes being two different types of pianos.

BUT last night I got a chance to play a friend's student model Wurlitzer (the one with the attached amp... almost like a suitcase model).  He just bought it and has done NOTHING to it.  And the action was amazing.  Playing it felt like playing a Rhodes.  Pressing down on the keys, it felt there was weight and resistance.  Whereas mine has a clickety-clack feel (sometimes I even hear the wood of the keys hitting something).

My question: what have I done wrong on my 200? Could I have overlubricated the key pins? How can I tighten up the resistance so that playing it feels weighter?  Thanks!

pianotuner steveo

No, you can't over lube, and there isn't much of a way to tighten the resistance other than bushings. There may be an issue with key dip or Letoff. More likely dip.(That may explain clicking noises) Maybe your key bushings are too loose. Do the keys wiggle side to side more than usual?


Wurli's and Rhodes are apples and oranges. Wurli keys are very light weight and shorter.
Yours is a 200, non- A?

The whips and keys are different in A's and non A's.

Did the other piano have key weights added to the keys?
1960 Wurlitzer model 700 EP
1968 Gibson G101 Combo organ
1975 Rhodes Piano Bass
1979 Wurlitzer 206A EP
1980 Wurlitzer 270 Butterfly Grand
2009 73A Rhodes Mark 7
2009 Korg SV-1 73
2017 Yamaha P255
2020 Kawai CA99
....and a few guitars...

Jenzz

Hi .-)

Maybe the damper arm springs are too loose. The tension of these will add to the key resistance.
Also check for propper adjusment of the damper regulating screws. The gap to the grommet should be around 1mm max.

Jenzz
Rhodes tech in Germany
www.tasteundtechnik.de
www.spontaneousstorytelling.net

VintageVibe 64 ACL + DOD FX25B, Tone City Sweet Cream, EHX SmallStone, Mooer e-Lady

Adams Solist 3.1 Vibraphone

In the Past:
Stage 73 Mk1 (1977)
Stage 88 Mk1 (1975)
Stage 73 Mk2 (1980)
Stage 73 Mk2 (1981 - plastic)
Suitcase 73 Mk1 (1973)
Suitcase 73 Mk1 (1978)

pianotuner steveo

Good points Jenzz...didn't think of those.
1960 Wurlitzer model 700 EP
1968 Gibson G101 Combo organ
1975 Rhodes Piano Bass
1979 Wurlitzer 206A EP
1980 Wurlitzer 270 Butterfly Grand
2009 73A Rhodes Mark 7
2009 Korg SV-1 73
2017 Yamaha P255
2020 Kawai CA99
....and a few guitars...

WurlieNewbie

Thanks for the replies, guys.

Jenzz - How do I check to see if the damper arm springs are too loose? Is this the same as adjusting the damper regulating screws to 1mm?  Also, just curious... how do the dampers effect key resistance (do they only do this when the sustain pedal is pressed?)

Steve - I have a 200 (non A).  And yes, some of the keys wiggle more than usual.  Looking at a copy of the Wurlitzer manual, if I need to tighten any of the key bushings, that might be out of my league and will require a professional.

Jenzz

#5
Hi .-)

These are 2 different things:

There is nothing said about these damper arm / lever springs in the manual, so i came up with my own solution: I use a spring-balance to pull the damper arms up and bend these spings slightly so that the damper arms will not move up before reaching 40-50 gramms force / weight.

Refer to Fig. 2 from the manual... The damper regulating srew is the one that goes through to grommet. With key at rest, there should be an minimal play of 0,8mm between the top of the grommet and the bottom of the screw head.

To keep this measure is important esp. on the bass side. If the gap is to wide, the dampers will come down too close to the reed when the pedal is pressed. (Play and hold low A, then press the pedal and watch the damper arm moving, then you will understand...)

If you press a key, the whip pulls down the damper actuating rod / regulating screw combo. Therefore, the tension of the damper lever spring will alter key resistance.

If the lever spring is loose, the key will play light, if the lever spring is tight, the keys will play stiffer.

Jenzz

Rhodes tech in Germany
www.tasteundtechnik.de
www.spontaneousstorytelling.net

VintageVibe 64 ACL + DOD FX25B, Tone City Sweet Cream, EHX SmallStone, Mooer e-Lady

Adams Solist 3.1 Vibraphone

In the Past:
Stage 73 Mk1 (1977)
Stage 88 Mk1 (1975)
Stage 73 Mk2 (1980)
Stage 73 Mk2 (1981 - plastic)
Suitcase 73 Mk1 (1973)
Suitcase 73 Mk1 (1978)

pianotuner steveo

The only real way to tighten the bushings is to replace them with thicker felt. It's not super complicated, but can be daunting to a newbie. I don't trust the tool that is supposed to tighten them, it's too easy to break the wood.
1960 Wurlitzer model 700 EP
1968 Gibson G101 Combo organ
1975 Rhodes Piano Bass
1979 Wurlitzer 206A EP
1980 Wurlitzer 270 Butterfly Grand
2009 73A Rhodes Mark 7
2009 Korg SV-1 73
2017 Yamaha P255
2020 Kawai CA99
....and a few guitars...